17th Assembly resolved on Act2

The 17^th Assembly has made a series of decisions arising out of the Act2 Project, adopting three new visions for the life of the Uniting Church, establishing two new national Commissions, and requesting a further investigation into the Uniting Church’s national structure.

Substantial work was undertaken by the 17^th Assembly Facilitation Committee in relation to the Act2 proposals, which were discussed at length in Community Working Groups and in meeting plenary.

The 17^th Assembly affirmed an opening statement which preceded the proposals:

We open ourselves to the gift of the Spirit, given in order that we may not lose the way. With thanksgiving for the past 47 years of our life, and after taking a long, loving look at the reality of our present, and with hope in God’s faithfulness for our future, we commit to continue our journey together. We believe now is the time to reshape our life so we may better live into God’s call in our time and place. By centring life-giving communities of discipleship and mission, cultivating a flourishing theological culture and deeply sharing in our common life and wealth we will treasure Christ’s gift of abundant grace, share this gift with our world and pass it to future generations.

It adopted a vision for local Uniting Church communities:

Communities of faith will sustain a life of worship, build one another up in love, grow disciples of Jesus and participate in God’s mission. These diverse communities of faith will shape their life in response to God’s call in their context and deepen their relationship with God, one another, the wider church and the world.

It adopted a second vision for a National Network for Theology, Formation and Leadership, which refers to those institutions and communities – including but not limited to theological colleges – where people are educated and formed for discipleship, mission and ministry. It envisions:

A visible and accessible network of intentional communities engaged in life-long learning to equip people to courageously follow Jesus and participate in God’s mission in contemporary Australia.

The Assembly established a new national Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership to see this vision implemented across the life of the Uniting Church.

The Commission will have Terms of Reference and a skilled membership both to be determined by the ASC. The ASC has been requested to ensure the membership reflects the theological and other diversity of the Church and includes people with qualifications and experience in theological education and ministry formation.

The Assembly adopted a suite of principles to guide the work of the Commission.

The Assembly adopted a third vision for the ordering and resourcing of the whole Church:

A network of deeply connected councils responding to God’s call to enter more fully into mission through healthy oversight of ministry and mission, celebrating our diverse and shared identity and being faithful stewards of our common life and wealth.

It also resolved to “Call to the Church, in living out the vision for sharing our common life and wealth, to prioritise sharing our resources with one another for the benefit of the whole Church.”

The Assembly established a new national Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration to lead the work of implementing the vision across the Church.

The Assembly Standing Committee will finalise its terms of reference and establish a process to fill the membership of the Commission, which will be drawn from the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, Congregations, Presbyteries, Synods, Assembly and agencies.

Like with the first Commission, the 17^th Assembly adopted a series of principles to guide the work of the Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration.

This Commission will undertake a feasibility study related to the national structure of the Uniting Church, investigating the consequences, risks and opportunities of both a three-council and a four-council model.

This process will be undertaken in collaboration with Congress leaders, Church Councils, Presbyteries, Synods, the Assembly and agencies of the Uniting Church. The Commission will report to the 18^th Assembly in 2027.

Noting that some decisions made as part of the Act2 direction may require changes to the Uniting Church Constitution, the Assembly also prescribed a process by which the Assembly Standing Committee will make those changes. The process ensures adequate consultation with the Legal Reference Committee, Synods and Presbyteries.